Gaming machines which include progressive awards have become very popular. Certain known progressive slot machines contain one or more progressive awards that increase every time a player plays the slot machine. An individual progressive gaming machine has a self contained progressive award, wherein the progressive award grows with every play. A linked progressive award includes two or more gaming machines connected to a common progressive award. Each of the individual gaming machines contribute to the progressive award. The gaming machines usually add a percentage of each of the players bets, such as 1%, to the progressive award. The progressive awards can reach sizeable amounts such as $1 million or more before a player hits or wins the progressive award. Such sizeable progressive awards are very attractive to players. Furthermore, as the progressive award grows, so does the overall average payout percentage of the gaming machine.
A typical, individual symbol driven gaming machine (such as a slot machine) has a predetermined, individual award and a predetermined probability of winning the award. The predetermined probability of winning the award is determined by a predetermined number of symbol types and a total number of symbols. This predetermined number of symbol types and total number of symbols, along with the likelihood that each such symbol will occur provide the overall predetermined probability of obtaining the predetermined, individual award of that gaming machine. This provides minimal flexibility for synchronizing gaming machines to win a designated award, such as a progressive award.
For example, Gaming Machine A has a predetermined paytable including a predetermined top award of $10,000 and a predetermined 1/1,000,000 chance of winning the top award. Gaming Machine B has a predetermined paytable including a predetermined top award of $15,000 and a predetermined 1/1750,000 chance of winning the top award. Gaming Machine C has a predetermined paytable including a predetermined top award of $20,000 and a predetermined 112,000,000 chance of winning the top award. With these three gaming machines, there is no flexibility to synchronize the gaming machines to have a single designated top award. Additionally, there is no flexibility for changing the predetermined probabilities of one or more gaming machines of winning a designated award.
Typical symbol driven progressive gaming machines (such as a slot machine) have a progressive award determination driven from a predetermined number of symbol types and a total number of symbols which are part of a paytable. This predetermined number of symbol types and total number of symbols, along with the likelihood that each such symbol will occur provide a certain predetermined probability of triggering the progressive award. This provides minimal flexibility for changing the probability of generating winning symbol combinations.
In some progressive gaming systems, each of the gaming machines have the same wager requirement and include a predetermined, winning combination. Each of these winning combinations has a same probability of occurring. That is, different winning combinations at different gaming machines have a same probability of occurring and thus, winning the progressive award. However, there is not a way to modify the gaming machines to change the probabilities of winning the progressive award.
There is a need for greater flexibility in gaming systems for linking gaming machines with predetermined individual awards to a designated award for all of the gaming machines. There is a need for a gaming system and method for modifying gaming machines with different probabilities of winning a designated award such that each gaming machine has a same probability of winning the designated award. Additionally, there is a need for a gaming system and method that provides the ability to modify the probabilities of gaming machines to change the probability of one, some or all of gaming machine's probabilities of triggering a designated award based on one or more triggering events.